Colief Infant Drops 15ml I Lactase Enzyme Drops

Product Description

For the first few months of life some babies may have difficulty in fully digesting the lactose in milk. This can be an important factor in some babies with colic. Colief Infant Drops helps to break down the lactose in a baby’s usual milk (breast milk or infant formula) before the baby is fed, making the milk more easily digestible.

How to use


Colief Infant Drops can be added to the baby’s milk each time you breast or bottle feed. Do not give the drops to your baby directly. Please read the enclosed leaflet carefully. Do not use if the seal is broken on the bottle.

Hazards and Cautions


Storage: 

Store at or below room temperature (max 25°C). Once opened keep refrigerated and discard after 6 weeks.

Feeding OptionsNumber of dropsHow to Use Colief
Breastfeeding with Colief4 Drops
  • Express a few tablespoons of breast milk into a sterilised container.
  • Add 4 drops of Colief Infant Drops.
  • Give this to your infant on a sterilised spoon before initiating breastfeeding.
  • Breast feed as normal.
Using Colief with formula4 Drops
  • Prepare your infant’s formula as per manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Add 4 drops of Colief Infant Drops to the warm (not hot) formula.
  • Wait 30 minutes, shaking the formula occasionally, then feed your infant as normal, making sure that the formula is at the correct temperature.
  • Discard any unused formula.
Making formula in advance using Colief2 Drops
  • Prepare your infant’s formula as per manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Add 2 drops of Colief Infant Drops to the warm (not hot) formula.
  • Store in your refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours before use and use within 12 hours.
  • Feed your infant as normal making sure that the formula is at the correct temperature.
  • Discard any unused formula.
Using Colief with ready-made formula4 Drops
  • Warm the formula.
  • Add 4 drops of Colief Infant Drops to the warm (not hot) formula.
  • Wait 30 minutes, shaking the formula occasionally, then feed your infant as normal, making sure that the formula is at the correct temperature.
  • Discard any unused formula.

Colief Infant Drops are safe to use from birth and can be used whether an infant is breast or formula-fed. Colief Infant Drops contains an enzyme that is destroyed by heat. It works best in warm milk. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when preparing your infant’s formula. Do not add Colief Infant Drops to formula that is too hot or too cold.


When you commence feeding your baby milk treated with Colief you may notice a change in the stool pattern. This may resemble the stools of a breastfed baby, i.e. looser and more frequent. In these circumstances you may wish to reduce the drops used per feed. If you have any concerns regarding your baby’s health you should seek professional medical advice.

By four months old, a baby’s digestive system should have developed sufficiently to be able to digest their feeds properly. Parents can start to wean their babies off Colief, firstly by halving the drops per feed, then using at alternative feeds, then using for just one feed per day before complete removal. If at any stage the signs of discomfort return, revert to previous dosage level.

Colief Clinical Evidence

Initial hospital trials in Cork showed that the product had a pronounced effect on babies with a temporary sensitivity to lactose. The trial was small but the results were significant and were published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics in September 1998. They showed that by breaking down most of the lactose in a baby’s feed by adding lactase enzyme drops to the milk a number of hours before feeding, the hours of crying were significantly reduced. These results were confirmed by a subsequent, larger trial at Guys Hospital in London, published in October 2001.

Colief as a Diagnostic

As any parent with a distressed, crying baby knows, colic affects a whole household, and can be very frustrating and upsetting for parents. Colic is defined as repeated episodes of excessive and inconsolable crying in a newborn baby which otherwise appears to be perfectly healthy. The condition can affect up to one in five babies.

Research has found that a temporary sensitivity to lactose is an important factor for many babies with colic. A lack of lactase enzyme in the small intestine results in a baby’s inability to fully digest the milk-sugar lactose. The undigested lactose is then broken down in the bowel, producing lactic acid and hydrogen gas. This leads to discomfort, bloating and wind.

A one-week trial of Colief® Infant Drops can help a parent identify if a temporary sensitivity to lactose is the cause of their baby’s colic symptoms. If the baby shows no signs of improvement after a week, it can be ruled out as the cause and other possible causes can then be investigated. Temporary lactose sensitivity does not put a baby’s health at risk and will normally resolve itself around four months.